Pets of the Week: Three Musketeers

Posted on April 6, 2014August 23, 2021 by Loretta

This week T-Bar got in the Three Musketeers: three beautiful donkeys that are looking for a home. Once you have a donkey, they are in your life forever. Their antics with people and with other four legged creatures are a sight to behold. Porthos is brown and 4 years old,

Athos is white and 10 years old and Aramis is a two year old white donkey. Like the three Musketeers they wandered a neighborhood in Burleson County. When nobody claimed them the sheriffs dept took ownership of them and asked us to take them. They now have had their tetanus shot, gelded, and ready for their new home. They are sweet and gentle and didn’t cause any problems with any of the people or animals in the neighborhood they wandered around in. If you’d like one, two or even three donkeys these sweet boys are available for adoption or foster.

If you can’t take a donkey but would like to help please donate toward their vet bill by sending a donation to T-Bar at http://www.t-bar.org, paying by pay pal or send a payment directly to Brenham Vet Hospital 2455 Highway 290 West Brenham TX 77833-6806 or call them at 979-836-2472. T-Bar never recoups money on vet bills from adoption fees alone. We need everyone to help by donating.

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TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill animal rescue organization. If you would like to help animals such as this one please consider donating to TBAR, volunteering, fostering, or adopting. Donations go directly toward care, feed, and veterinary care of the rescued animals and every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Volunteer Appreciation Post 2014

Posted on April 6, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

This week is volunteer appreciation week, so on behalf of all of the animals in TBAR (past, present, and future) we THANK all of our volunteers!

Founders:
Dale DeAeth(2004)
Melanie DeAeth (2004)
Elizabeth Hewett (2004)
Eric Laird (2004)
Jodi Stauffer (2004)
Loretta Pinnell (2004)
Ralph Pinnell (2004)

Board of Directors:
Melanie DeAeth (2004)
Dale DeAeth (2004)
Teresa Gaskamp (2005)
Loretta Pinnell (2004)
Linda Taylor (2007)

Administrative Volunteers: Events & Fundraisers:
Melanie DeAeth, President and Treasurer (2004)
Alissa Cannon, Secretary (2012 – Volunteer of the Year 2012)
Shellie Bellinghausen, Volunteer Coordinator (2012)
Loretta Pinnell, Networking Coordinator (2004)
Jessica Ripley, Web Coordinator (2004)
Linda Taylor, Marketing & Events Coordinator (2007)

Melanie DeAeth, President and Treasurer (2004)

Shellie Bellinghausen, Volunteer Coordinator (2012)

Linda Taylor, Marketing & Events Coordinator (2007)

Animal Care:

Dale DeAeth (2004)

Colton DeAeth (2004)

AJ Greer (2012 – Volunteer of the Year 2012)

Amy Hemsell (2011)

Jason Moore, Photographer (2013 – Volunteer of the Year 2013)

Olivia Moore, Photographer & Journalist (2013 – Volunteer of the Year 2013)

Whitney Maldonado (2004)

Teresa Gaskamp (2006)

Kathleen Rooker (2014)

Ariana Spoon (2014)

Facility Maintenance:
These men are always ready to put up a fence, build a kennel, or even mow the grass!

Dale DeAeth, Vice President of Facilities (2004)

Colton DeAeth (2004)
Ralph Pinnell (2004)
James Taylor (2007)

Generic: (work events, do inspections, help with animal transport, or foster animals)
Lauren Lee Sarlya (2005)
Jeanne Westphal (2006)
Lynne Larkin (2010)

Casie Cooper (2008)
Angie Hewett (2004)
Eric Larid (2004)
Cheryl Zeitzmann (2013)
Rebecca Beale (2013)
Rhonda Blaschke (2014)
Simone Belota (2013)
Lisa Bobbitt (2009)
Ellen Spahni (2012)
Heather Beran (2008)
Claire Peters (2007)
Julee Meade (2013)
Sherry Haferkamp (2012)
Shay Morrow (2014)
Karen Presley (2014)
Karlene Mistretta (2012)
Seth Massey (2009)
Kimberly Fox (2013)
Travis Buehring (2013)
Taylor Molder (2014)
Eva Livy (2007)

April Family Fun Day

Posted on April 6, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

Yesterday TBAR held a great Family Fun Day! We were worried about rain, but the weather held off and a great time was had by all! We hosted two sessions, a morning and an afternoon and the group organizers had a lunch planned for the families at the Washington on The Brazos State Park.

Family Fun days offer fun activities for all to enjoy, including:
1) Learn safety with dogs and horses
2) Listen to a story about rescue animals
3) Ride a horse
4) Hay Ride

Our events are announced on our website, and also on our Facebook page.

If you are interested in having your kids, aged 6-16, enjoy some horse time with TBAR ABLE residents, please stay tuned for info on our July ABLE Read-to-Ride Camps!

Foster Needed for Gracie

Posted on April 5, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

Gracie’s Story

*Warning: This posts contains an image that may be disturbing to some readers*

TBAR received a desperate request for help when a dog was taken to a Houston shelter. This sweet girl, later named Gracie, was found wandering around Lily’s new work and animal control officers were called because they knew this poor dog needed medical attention. She was covered in sarcoptic mange and you could see the desperation in her eyes crying out for help. Despite her discomfort, she was very loving and gentle and she touched Lily’s heart. She needed a vet’s care and Lily was determined to find a rescue who would give this dog a chance at life. The shelter she was sent to does not allow adoptions of bully breeds (to protect the dogs from possibly being used for breeding, fighting or as a bait dogs in a fighting ring). For many who send very loving and sweet dogs to these shelter’s thinking they are helping the animal not aware that the dog’s fate is likely euthanasia, it’s very heartbreaking knowing that the animal will end up put to sleep because it’s not safe for them to be adopted out. Shelters have a very high intake of animals constantly coming and going so they are not able to follow up with adoptions the way rescues can. So adopting out these dogs who are often targeted by people with less than humane intentions without being able to check in and see how the animal is doing could be very dangerous and irresponsible. These shelters may not allow public adoptions for these breeds, but they do allow rescues to pull them to give them a chance at a safe and loving home.

True Blue Animal Rescue responded to Lily’s desperate request and was willing to help this sweet dog. Gracie was pulled from the Houston shelter and immediately taken to the vet office to receive treatment. This is when we learned that not only did Gracie have sarcoptic mange, but she was also diagnosed with heartworms which required immediate treatment.

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Gracie has been doing well at the vet and Lily visits her often. Once Gracie’s mange is under control, she will desperately need a foster home where she can continue her heartworm treatment until she is healthy enough to be listed for adoption. Please consider opening up your heart and home to this beautiful girl. She has been given a second chance at life and you can see how grateful she is to have people who love and care for her. Now all she needs is a foster home where she can blossom into the amazing companion she was meant to be!

If you are interested in fostering or adopting Gracie, please email [email protected] or call (936)878-2349. If you can’t foster or adopt, please share her story with friends and family or donate for her medical care. If you can donate $1, $5, or even $15, every little bit helps and goes towards her necessary medical care.

Success Stories: Shawnee

Posted on April 2, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

This week’s Success Story is all about Shawnee!

Horses like Shawnee don’t come along every day. She is a rare and beautiful snow-flake red roan Appaloosa with four white stockings. Like so many of T-Bar’s adoptable horses, Shawnee was taken from her owner due to abuse and neglect and was very skinny when she was taken in by T-Bar. She was placed in a wonderful T-Bar foster home where she received the nutrition, attention and TLC needed to rehabilitate her into the the loving lady she has become.

Shawnee, now named Pinky, was understandably a bit shy and nervous in her new foster home. But with some time and patience, she began to trust again. She remembered round pen work and tried very hard to please her foster. With T-Bar’s foster-to-adopt equine fostering option, Karlene was able to spend some time working one on one with Pinky making sure that they were the perfect match before making her commitment to adoption. After spending some time getting to know and work with this gorgeous girl, Karlene decided it was time to make Pinky a permanent part of her family.

Pictured is Pinky with her new adoptive mom, Karlene! Here’s what she has to say about this wonderful mare:

Hi T-bar folks. Just wanted to say thank you for the privilege you have granted me by permitting me to give your Shawnee her forever home. She is a sweet little mare and as you can see we are enjoying our ground lessons very much. We look forward to seeing you all on the trail someday soon.

Have you rescued a pet by opening your heart and home to a T-Bar animal? Has your new rescue animal brought lots of joy to your life and family? Please share your T-Bar adoption story with us by emailing [email protected]! We love receiving updates, pictures and even videos from our past adoptive families.

TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill animal rescue organization. If you would like to help animals such as this one, please consider donating to TBAR, volunteering, fostering, or adopting. Donations go directly toward care, feed, and veterinary care of the rescued animals and every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Rescue a pet: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Pet of the week: Elmer

Posted on March 31, 2014August 23, 2021 by Loretta

Elmer was born shortly after his mother, Mamma-Lynne, was rescued along with 26 other horses. They were all starved and Elmer is one of the miracles! Elmer is a really neat horse. He is odd, in a good way. He seems to prefer human company over horses. He leaves the herd to follow people. He even comes up for petting and to be the center of your attention. He has been started under saddle. He would be someone’s best friend, loyal and faithful, like a big dog! Elmer would do well with a younger rider or someone who would make this amazing boy their world. He would certainly return the favor! Elmer is absolutely beautiful as well as unique and very regal in posture. He has a very fluid, graceful movement about him and makes you catch your breath when he is in motion.

If you are interested in Elmer email [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349.

TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill animal rescue organization. If you would like to help animals such as this one please consider donating to TBAR, volunteering, fostering, or adopting. Donations go directly toward care, feed, and veterinary care of the rescued animals and every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!

Feature Foster: Olivia and Patrick

Posted on March 30, 2014August 23, 2021 by Olivia

I didn’t make the decision to become foster Mom to a TBAR foster dog lightly. I had been thinking and praying about it for some time now. While my dogs are a wonderful pack, I do have a corgi mix that seems to live with a lot of fear. But when Melanie informed me that T-bar was taking in two puppies that had been found on the side of the road starving I felt the pull grow. What sealed the deal was a picture of the two puppies side by side looking very thin and scared. Since My corgi mix is mostly scared of anything bigger than him I figured a puppy would be easy for him to get used to.

Our foster dog Patrick came into T-bar care on St. Patrick’s Day, hence his name. I could not help but notice his long legs and soulful eyes when Melanie and Teresa came by with him. Thankfully T-bar provided a crate for me to use for him. His ribs were showing and so were his hip bones. Knowing my dogs, I was right about their reaction to the newcomer. Lucia, my oldest, wanted to check on him non-stop, Chloe our middle dog, could have cared less (Patrick could be a new chair for all she noticed), and of course Jack, the corgi mix, was the biggest hurtle.

Patrick made it clear that his experience on the streets had given him encounters with bigger dogs already. Jack growled once and Patrick bowed his little head and hunched his shoulders. The puppy was going into a submissive stance to try and let Jack know things are ok. This dance has been repeated a lot in just our first week with Patrick, through no fault of the new arrival. Jack has trust issues and Patrick is responding very well. He gives Jack space, he knows not to try and play with Jack unless Jack invites him, which has so far only happened once.

Patrick picked up crate training pretty fast and had only one accident in the house which was mostly my fault because I stopped watching him when a friend came over for a visit. Since I work from home I have my dogs on a set schedule. Having three other dogs to model his behavior after has made things pretty smooth for us in adding Patrick into our pack. If Patrick were an over-eager dog, or insistent on jumping on Jack or our cats this would have required more work on our part. Thankfully Patrick seems to be one of those dogs that is Heaven-sent. He already knows to nap on a dog bed, or sit there and play. If I catch him chewing on something I firmly tell him no and then make sure to give him a toy that is okay to chew on. He is still a pup and is teething. All puppies like to chew but, it is up to those watching them to teach them the do and don’ts of what they can chew on. So far he has left shoes and socks that my cute husband leaves around untouched (which is more than I can say for Lucia, who loves socks).

It’s an honor to train Patrick and house him for T-bar. Many people have asked me questions about him so I will try and answer them now.

How is he with cats? Like all puppies Patrick wants to play. We have only had to get after him twice about the cats and his “chasing” efforts were fainthearted. He took two bouncy steps and then stopped.

Is he hyper? He is a puppy and has the desire to interaction and love. We make it a point to not pet him when he jumps on us, but to show affection when he is being calm or laying down chewing on a toy. This helps him not feel the need to jump on us seeking attention and love. Since he is a puppy I put time aside to run around with him outside and get him to move. Even so, he is a pretty low-energy dog. As I write this he is blissfully snoring on his favorite blue dog bed.

Does he bark a lot? He is not much of a barker. For now other dogs barking scare him a little. But this is a huge improvement from when we first got him. Dogs would bark and he would whine and want inside. He is getting braver day by day.

Is he good with kids? I always want people to understand that kids are high energy beings. They are young and they want to run, play and make noise. That will have an effect on any dog’s behavior, especially a puppy. Patrick is a gentle dog so if a family with kids wants to adopt him he will be safe, but always keep in mind it is up to you and your kids to help a dog remain calm and happy.

Fostering Patrick is something I am so excited to be doing and when a family comes along for him and he has a forever home I know that the amount of pride and happiness I will feel will be huge. Helping an animal get healthy and then find a forever home that fits him will give me joy beyond words. For now though, I am enjoying this new ride. Patrick has been so sweet that I am already thinking about doing fostering again! But I have to ask my corgi mix first!

We hope this story has inspired you to join in our wonderful group of TBAR Foster Homes. TBAR is a 501(c)3 non-profit animal rescue made up of only foster homes. We have no public funding for a central shelter location, so every person that can take in just one foster animal is a big help to our mission of saving lives. Read about fostering, or write to us at [email protected] to find out more!

April Horse Clinic

Posted on March 29, 2014August 23, 2021 by True Blue Animal Rescue

Juan Vendrell of TC Ranch Horsemanship is offering a Horse Clinic at one of our TBAR Foster homes on April 26, 2014. This is a great opportunity for some of the TBAR horses and volunteers to receive training and gain experience. Juan’s horse clinics focus on both groundwork and riding and are customized to allow horses and trainers of all levels to participate and benefit. Attendees can expect to gain skills in natural horsemanship including problem solving and confidence building through roundpenning, desensitizing, haltering and saddling horses.

This clinic is allowing for trainer/horse participation as well as auditing. Please bring lawn chairs for sitting. Clean coggins required for all horses attending

Participants (with Horse): $100
TBAR Members (with Horse): $80
Auditors: $25
Purchase tickets at: www.TBARClinic.eventbrite.com

Juan Vendrell is an experienced horse trainer who holds clinics in Europe and the United States and is a featured trainer at The Horseman’s Reunion.

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Success Stories: Scooter

Posted on March 26, 2014August 23, 2021 by Alissa

Meet T-Bar’s Scooter

Last week, we listed Luna as our Success Story of the week. This week, we have the privilege of posting Luna’s brother Scooter as our Success Story!

Scooter was abandoned on the side of the road with Prissy (aka Munchkin) and her sister Luna (PeeWee). This little group of dumped dogs remained where they were – thinking their owner would be back for them and would take them home again. Instead, these three were lucky enough to be spotted by a T-Bar foster who stopped to see if they could be coerced into a crate. Scooter and the girls were very shy and nervous at first, but after a little time and patience, they warmed up to be loving little lap dogs who would do anything for pets and attention.

Here’s what his adoptive mom has to say about him:

“He is great. He loves the babies, my son is connected at his hip. He slept with us in our bed all night long…yes we allow animals in our bed. 🙂 He is great with our other dog and the cat and him don’t really care that each other exist…no issues and very happy momma!!!”

Thank you for giving Scooter a wonderful, loving forever home!

Pyr Story

Posted on March 25, 2014August 23, 2021 by Melanie DeAeth

In February Olivia shared the story of the Pyrenees Dog rescue. We are pleased to follow that up with the happy success story ending for these dogs!

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On March 12, 2012, after their final round of vet care, True Blue Animal Rescue sent Delia and Porthos, two Pyrenees rescue dogs, to New Jersey to be placed in forever homes through Eleventh Hour Rescue. In doing this we learned that northern states have done such a great job of eliminating their overpopulation problem that they currently have a shortage of rescue animals. With this demand for rescue animals in the north the southern states are now shipping hundreds there on a regular basis.

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Porthos transport

Delia During Transport

We linked up with PETS, LLC., one of the transport companies that brings dogs all over the country to their new homes. We met with this transport team in Houston, TX where there were another 40 dogs loaded into an air conditioned semi truck by compassionate people who were knowledgable about dogs and how to care for them in a transport situation. We were comforted and happy to receive updates and pictures of our dogs during this three day trip. Then when they arrived in New Jersey we were notified and sent pictures to assure us that they made it safely.

Porthos in New Home

Porthos during Transport

Porthos and Delia in NJ

Delia in New home

Since it means saving more lives we plan to try and place more dogs in homes in states that have less rescue dogs than we do but we also know that this is not the answer to ending our overpopulation problem. Thirty years ago these states had the same overpopulation problems that we see in the south. I worked in an SPCA in New York State and experienced this first hand. Since then They enforced licensing laws, developed spay / neuter programs and educated the public in order to become no kill states. Knowing this gives me the assurance that we can do the same thing here in Texas, and other states who are still working to decrease and then eliminate their euthanasia rates.